Dylan Marlowe Discusses How ‘Devil on My Shoulder’ Paves the Way for His Debut Album’s Fresh New Sound [Exclusive]
Marlowe says he’s letting go of his “give a damn” mindset and is now making music that he loves.
Dylan Marlowe; Photo by Jacob Powers
Today, Dylan Marlowe unveils his new song, “Devil on My Shoulder,” which serves as the fourth and final glimpse into his just-announced debut album, Mid-Twenties Crisis. The project will be available on September 27 and will feature 15 tracks.
The rising country star has been utilizing his online platforms to tease a few unreleased tracks including “Devil on My Shoulder.” The song ended up gaining so much traction among fans that it became the clear choice for his next release.
Marlowe admits he took a slightly different creative approach when putting this track together. Rather than his usual approach of writing lyrics first and adding music later, Marlowe took a different route this time. Kyle Fishman already had a tune laid out that Marlowe instantly gravitated toward, so he and fellow co-writers Beau Bailey and Rocky Block ended up writing the words to match that sound.
When it came to the narrative, he explained he wanted to put a unique spin on the idea of listening to the devil on your shoulder. The result is a story that illustrates what it’s like to be so heartbroken by a girl that he deems to be an “angel” that even the suggestions of devil on your shoulder won’t seem to help ease the pain.
Marlowe was right when he said that the song “goes really hard” with its unexacting narrative and stirring mid-tempo melody backed by instrumentals that match that heartbreaking feeling of defeat. Because of how proud he is of the final product, the rising star says he is incredibly excited to play it live for fans in his upcoming shows.
Entering Into A New Era
When previewing the fresh release on social media, Marlowe explained that “Devil on My Shoulder” marks yet another look into his new era that will fully begin with the release of his debut album. In the past, he admits he has held back from fully diving into a sound that he loves in fear of getting backlash for reaching beyond the country realm, but with this upcoming project, he’s letting go of his “give a damn” mindset and holding nothing back.
“I was like, you know what? I’m just gonna write the music that I love writing and the stuff I want to play live and I don’t really care who likes it or who doesn’t…I’ve been digging into this kind of pop punky side of me that I’ve always loved and the melodies of pop punk. A lot of old pop punk stuff doesn’t really care and it’s all kind of fun. That’s what all of my shows revolve around, and I grew up on that so finally letting those roots run loose has been really, really fun. I’ve had more fun writing this record than any other song ever just with the idea of writing for the record,” he shared.
Putting Storytelling At The Forefront Of The Record
Along with implanting the new sound, he was also inspired by the work of country superstar Eric Church and felt determined to make his first record “full of storytelling.”
“Almost every song has a unique story and a unique title behind it, which is what I kind of aim for. I don’t really want another song about whiskey. So I really dug in and I think the fans will be able to listen to it top to bottom the way that I ordered it.”
The Georgia native went on to say that he feels confident and proud of the songs he has compiled for his first album. Even though this is a new chapter for him, Dylan Marlowe assured that he isn’t completely changing who he is as an artist. Instead, he looks at this as a way of elevating what he has already been doing in order to let fans get to know him a bit better and the direction he hopes to take his career.
He continued, “It just feels refreshing. I am biased, but I haven’t heard a record that has the same dynamic, unique sound as this one…it’s just a new era of music and it’s only going to continue to grow, but I wouldn’t say it’s changing who I am or what I’ve been doing. I would just say it’s evolving by just taking what I’ve done and what I’ve been through and evolving into the artist that I want to become.”
In addition to “Devil on My Shoulder” he has previewed the project with “Bat Outta Hell (With a Boat on the Back),” “You Did It Too,” “I Will (When You Do)” and “Boys Back Home” feat. Dylan Scott, which earned over 3.2 million global streams in its first week and is currently in the top 40 and rising at country radio. These four songs will be intermixed with the 11 unreleased songs that fans will get to indulge in when the full collection is unveiled, including a collaboration with Riley Green.
Marlowe co-penned every song, with the title track being a solo write, allowing him to fully divulge in a collection of songs that represent different moments of his life in Mid-Twenties Crisis. This title, which he revealed came to him in the middle of the night, has turned out to be the perfect way to sum everything up.
Mid-Twenties Crisis Track List:
Side A
- Heaven’s Sake – Dylan Marlowe / Seth Ennis / Joe Fox
- Deer on the Wall – Dylan Marlowe / Zach Abend / Seth Ennis
- Mid-Twenties Crisis – Dylan Marlowe
- Heart Brakes – Dylan Marlowe / Jordan Minton / Lindsay Rimes
- Stick to My Guns (feat. Riley Green) Dylan Marlowe / Benjy Davis / Abram Dean / Joe Fox / Reid Isbell
- Hungover in a Deer Stand – Dylan Marlowe / Trannie Anderson / Ryan Beaver / David Garcia
- Hang It Up – Dylan Marlowe / Tyler Chambers
Side B
- Shop Radio – Dylan Marlowe / Tyler Chambers / Johnny McGuire
- Devil on My Shoulder – Dylan Marlowe / Beau Bailey / Rocky Block / Kyle Fishman
- I Never Miss – Dylan Marlowe / Rocky Block / Mark Holman / Blake Pendergrass
- There Goes That – Dylan Marlowe / Seth Ennis / Joe Fox
- Boys Back Home (feat. Dylan Scott) – Dylan Marlowe / Seth Ennis / Joe Fox
- You Did It Too – Dylan Marlowe / Dallas Davidson / Joe Fox
- Bat Outta Hell (With a Boat on the Back) -Dylan Marlowe / Jessie Jo Dillon / Kyle Fishman
- The Fence- Dylan Marlowe / Jimi Bell / Tyler Chambers / Benjy Davis / Seth Ennis / Mikey Reeves
Fans might be lucky enough to get a preview of the album during one of Marlowe’s upcoming shows. He recently kicked off the first weekend on the road as a supporting act for Dan + Shay’s Heartbreak On The Map Tour and will continue on the run through September, wrapping up just days before his debut album drops.
Written by
Madeleine O’Connell
Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her masters degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Country Now, she has been published in American Songwriter, Music Mayhem, and Holler.Country. Madeleine O’Connell is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.